


Didn't Leave Nobody For My Baby

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Prepare for Boarding [4]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Not Beta Read, Panic Attacks, Self-Esteem Issues, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:48:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22350607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: When telling Dave's parents about their engagement, some news comes to light. Klaus does not take it well.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Prepare for Boarding [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563505
Comments: 23
Kudos: 281





	Didn't Leave Nobody For My Baby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hermitreunited](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitreunited/gifts).



> anielle and i were talking about schitt's creek and this idea came up so here it is for y'all

He couldn’t believe he was engaged to Dave. Perfect Dave, who was nice to him and loved him and never hurt him. 

He could trust Dave.

Dave would keep him safe, make him happy, always be there for him.

He’d proven it, over and over. Klaus was a bit dumb, so he needed shown over and over. Thankfully Dave didn’t mind. He still loved Klaus when Klaus relapsed, when he’d thought they were just fuck buddies. Forgave him for being so stupid to not pick up that they were dating. Showed him that he’d never hurt Klaus, always greeting him with a caring hand. He’d never hit him, he never raised his voice. When he was mad at Klaus he stayed calm, wanting to make sure Klaus knew that he’d never be like his previous boyfriends, his previous girlfriends.

Klaus had never felt so safe and secure. 

Which was why he didn’t see it coming.

They were video chatting with Dave’s family, something they did semi often. Dave was close to them but he’d moved away. Keeping in touch had been important to him, which was so strange for Klaus. Sure, his family kept in touch _now_ but for so long his family had nothing to do with him, with each other. 

The trauma ran deep in the Hargreeves.

But this time in the video call they were announcing their engagement. 

“I have big news,” Dave said, glancing at Klaus with a soft smile on his face. Klaus grinned back. They’d told Klaus’s family already, everyone so happy for them. They all approved of Dave, seeing how good he was to Klaus, _for Klaus_. 

“Well don’t keep us waiting,” Dave’s mom said. Debra was a sweetheart. Klaus hadn’t met her in person yet, but he had gotten to know her well since dating Dave. 

“Klaus and I are engaged,” Dave said, lifting their hands to show the engagement rings.

His parents made the appropriate noises, excited and happy.

And then Bill’s voice cut through Debra asking for the story of how Dave asked the question with a, “Hope this engagement lasts longer than your last one.” His tone was joking, light. Dave shared a laugh, Debra elbowed Bill and shushed him.

Klaus’s smile turned plastic.

He could feel himself spiraling as Dave started telling his parents how they got engaged. _His second engagement_. 

Maybe this would be like history repeating itself. Dave would leave him. He’d realize how stupid and shitty Klaus was and leave him like he did his previous fiance. Maybe it’s that he didn’t really love Klaus. He obviously didn’t really love his previous fiance. 

Dave had been engaged before.

And Klaus hadn’t known. 

Klaus had trusted Dave but Dave had kept a secret. He hadn’t told him. An engagement was a big thing to omit. If he was keeping such a secret how much could he love and trust Klaus? He couldn’t, could he? He didn’t really love Klaus.

It was a lie.

He’d been lied to.

Dave, the one good thing in his life, didn’t love him. He was going to leave him and break off the engagement, just like he had previously. 

Maybe there was something Klaus could do, to make Dave stay with him. 

But Klaus knew there was nothing he could do, to bring to the table, that would warrant Dave staying. 

The previous engagement didn’t work out, why would it now? _With him?_ He wasn’t a better option, if anything he was a downgrade. Dave would realize his mistake and that he deserved better. 

He’d realized Klaus shouldn’t have been an option in the first place.

He hadn’t realized the call ended, he hadn’t realized his hands were shaking, _he hadn’t realized Dave didn’t care about him._ But he found his hands in Dave’s as Dave was speaking softly to him, calming him down. God when Dave left him he would miss this. 

“--there. You’re okay, baby. You’re okay. I’m here for you when you’re ready. Deep breaths, doll. There you go, you’re doing so great. You’ve got this.”

Klaus wanted held and cared for but Dave was going to leave him. Should he try to distance himself now? So it didn’t hurt as much when Dave broke off the engagement? Or should he cling to him while he could? If he got more needy than he was already was would Dave leave him sooner? His hands twisted in indecision.

Dave caught Klaus’s gaze with his, “Klaus, can I give you a hug?” He waited for Klaus to nod before wrapping him in his arms. 

“I’m sorry,” Klaus said, not knowing for sure why he was apologizing when Dave the one who was going to break off their engagement.

“I forgive you,” Dave said, as he always did. “I forgive you for whatever it is, but why are you sorry?” He ran his hand up and down Klaus’s back, soothing him.

Klaus wasn’t sure how to vocalize his thoughts. Was he sorry for being the reason Dave would leave him? Or should he call him out for not mentioning his previous engagement? How could he trust Dave now? _“Please don’t leave me.”_

“We just got engaged. Why do you think I’m going to leave you?” Dave pulled back just enough so that they could see each other, but he still had his arms wrapped around Klaus, making him feel safe. “I love you.”

“Bill said-- your dad said that you’ve been engaged before?” Klaus found himself spilling all of his thoughts to Dave, still wanting to trust him, wanting him to fix Klaus, “And you’ve never told me that and you left them and they were better than I am so you’re going to leave me too. Like you did with the previous fiance and there isn’t anything I can do to make you stay.”

Dave frowned, “I-- I’m sorry. But you need to know I’m not going to leave you like I did her. _I love you, Klaus._ So much. I didn’t-- I didn’t love her like I do you. I could never love her like I do you.”

“But--”

“Baby, _I’m gay._ You know that. I had been young, I hadn’t known I was gay. She was my friend and I thought I loved her, so I had proposed. It seemed like the thing to do. But I wasn’t happy, she didn’t make me happy like you do. It was after she and I were engaged that I realized I liked men so we broke it off.” 

“Did you propose because it seemed like the thing to do? With me?” Klaus asked, hating at how his voice shook.

Dave tucked a strand of Klaus’s hair behind is ear and then wrapped his hand around the back of his neck, letting it rest there. The weight was kind, loving. “I proposed because _it was_ the thing to do. I have never loved someone like how I love you. I won’t leave you, Klaus. I hope you can forgive me for not telling you about her. I’m sorry I messed up again--”

“No you didn’t--”

“I did. I messed up, baby. If you’re worried that I’m going to leave you then I haven’t done my job of making sure you know you’re loved.” Dave leaned in and kissed him on the tip of his nose, “You make me so happy. I can’t imagine my life without you. Every day I look forward to waking up next to you, to seeing you smile, to hearing your laugh. _You are my everything._ Please remember that, okay? I know sometimes it’s hard for you, and that’s okay. I’ll tell you every day if you need it.”

Klaus leaned further into Dave’s arms. He never liked it when Dave thought he did wrong. Dave was never the one who should apologize. Sure, he maybe should have mentioned he’d been engaged before, but Klaus shouldn’t have let himself spiral at the news. He should have remembered he could trust Dave, that Dave loved him.

The next day after Klaus woke up, Dave took his hand and kissed his knuckles, “I love you, _my everything._ ”

The day after that, Dave greeted him in the morning with a gentle forehead kiss, “I love you, _my everything._ ”

And the next, Dave ran his hand through Klaus’s hair, kissed the shell of his ear and whispered, “I love you, _my everything._ ”

Dave was the only person Klaus loved more than himself, but maybe

Maybe

Klaus was the only person Dave loved more than himself.

**Author's Note:**

> obliqueoptimsim @ tumblr


End file.
